Hydrogel nanoparticle encapsulated plasmid as a suitable gene delivery system

To facilitate the delivery of genetic material, the use of appropriate carriers such as polymers is necessary. Nanoparticles comprising of chitosan-alginate polymers were formed through pregel preparation method. Chi/Alg nanoparticles had a mean Z-Average diameter of 161.8 nm and mean zeta 29.3 mV, respectively. The ability of plasmid-complex in preventing DNA migration showed Chi/Alg nanoparticles have great capacity to maintain plasmid. The efficiency of nanoparticles for transfection of pEGFP-N1 plasmid in the cultured HEK 293 cells was measured by flow cytometry. Cell viability assays indicated that nanoparticles had no toxic effect on HEK 293 cells after 4 or 24 h. Our suitable candidate for gene delivery would be alg/chi nanoparticles.Для облегчения доставки генетического материала необходимо использование подходящих носителей, таких как полимеры. Наночастицы, состоящие из хитозан-альгинатных полимеров, были получены методом подготовки прегеля. Chi/Alg наночастицы имели средний диаметр 161.8 нм (Z-Average) и средний zeta-потенциал 29.3 mV. Отсутствие миграции ДНК во время электрофореза комплексов плазмиды с наночастицами показало, что Chi/Alg наночастицы могут удерживать плазмидную ДНК внутри комплекса. Эффективность наночастиц для трансфекции плазмиды pEGFP-N1 в культивируемые клетки HEK 293 была измерена с помощью жидкостной цитометрии. Тесты на жизнеспособ-ность клеток показали, что наночастицы не имели токсичного эффекта на клетки HEK 293 через 4 ч или 24 ч. Наночастицы Alg/Chi являются подходящим кандидатом для доставки генов

Gastric cancer in Iran: An overview of risk factors and preventive measures

Despite all recent treatment advances and the worldwide decline in the incidence rate, gastric cancer (GC) remains an ongoing global health challenge and one of the major leading causes of cancer-specific deaths, particularly in high-incidence regions including Iran. Since GC is often diagnosed in advanced stages, the best action may be to enable early diagnosis of the disease or even prevent it in the first place through identification and control of the underlying risk factors. Endoscopy, as the gold standard method, is both expensive and invasive, making it an unfavorable device in this regard. Therefore, it is crucial to implement a reliable region-specific screening and surveillance program to identify high-risk individuals with more efficient screening modalities. Here, in addition to a review of current GC knowledge, we presented the data of newly-established Population-based Cancer Registries (PBCRs) in Iran. Our assessment confirmed earlier reports of a very high GC incidence rate in the northwestern and northern provinces of Iran, most notably Ardabil. Along with the important role of conventional risk factors such as Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and high dietary intake of salt, of more interest, we highlighted new region-specific risk factors, namely hookah, and opium. In conclusion, it seems the best results in reducing GC incidence and mortality rates on larger scales arise from modifying behavioral and environmental risk factors and advancing genetic and molecular biomarkers in order to supersede endoscopy. Regular endoscopic screening and antibiotic chemoprophylaxis against HP are still more appropriate in high-risk groups with specified criteria. © 2021 Academy of Medical Sciences of I.R. Iran. All rights reserved

Complete conservation of an immunogenic gene (lcr1) in Leishmania infantum and Leishmania chagasi isolated from Iran, Spain and Brazi

Background & objectives: Kala-azar is the visceral and most severe form of leishmaniasis thatleads to death if untreated. The causative agents of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) are members ofLeishmania (L.) donovani complex which includes L. chagasi and L. infantum. Genome sequenceshave raised the question whether L. chagasi and L. infantum are synonymous or different. Thisquestion has important implications for clinical and epidemiological studies, evaluation of vaccinesand drugs, and disease control. LCR1 is an immunogenic molecule discovered from L. chagasiwith potential as a component of a Leishmania subunit vaccine. If this protein has potentials forbeing used in a vaccine or diagnostic testing, there should be little variability in this moleculebetween L. infantum isolates from diverse geographic regions. The aim of this study was to determinewhether lcr1 of an Iranian strain of L. infantum was identical to lcr1 of both L. infantum strainfrom a different geographic region (Spain) and that of an L. chagasi isolate from Brazil.Methods: L. infantum isolated from an Iranian kala-azar patient was studied. Lcr1 from this isolatewas PCR amplified, cloned, and studied by restriction digest analysis and sequencing.Results: The sequences of lcr1 of the Iranian L. infantum were completely identical at nucleotidelevel to lcr1 sequences of both the Spanish L. infantum and the Brazilian L. chagasi strains.Conclusion: Complete conservation of the DNA sequence encoding for LCR1 molecule betweengeographically distinct Leishmania species adds credibility to the potential for LCR1 as a componentof a subunit vaccine and diagnostic test for kala-azar

Neglected role of hookah and opium in gastric carcinogenesis: a cohort study on risk factors and attributable fractions

A recent study showed an association between hookah/opium use and gastric cancer but no study has investigated the relationship with gastric precancerous lesions. We examined the association between hookah/opium and gastric precancerous lesions and subsequent gastric cancer. In a population-based cohort study, 928 randomly selected, healthy, Helicobacter pylori-infected subjects in Ardabil Province, Iran, were followed for 10 years. The association between baseline precancerous lesions and lifestyle risk factors (including hookah/opium) was analyzed using logistic regression and presented as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We also calculated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for the associations of lifestyle risk factors and endoscopic and histological parameters with incident gastric cancers using Cox regression models. Additionally, the proportion of cancers attributable to modifiable risk factors was calculated. During 9,096 person-years of follow-up, 36 new cases of gastric cancer were observed (incidence rate: 3.96/1,000 persons-years). Opium consumption was strongly associated with baseline antral (OR: 3.2; 95% CI: 1.2–9.1) and body intestinal metaplasia (OR: 7.3; 95% CI: 2.5–21.5). Opium (HR: 3.2; 95% CI: 1.4–7.7), hookah (HR: 3.4; 95% CI: 1.7–7.1) and cigarette use (HR: 3.2; 95% CI: 1.4–7.5), as well as high salt intake, family history of gastric cancer, gastric ulcer and histological atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia of body were associated with higher risk of gastric cancer. The fraction of cancers attributable jointly to high salt, low fruit intake, smoking (including hookah) and opium was 93% (95% CI: 83–98). Hookah and opium use are risk factors for gastric cancer as well as for precancerous lesions. Hookah, opium, cigarette and high salt intake are important modifiable risk factors in this high-incidence gastric cancer area